It might not be apparent if you browse through my article history over the past half-decade, but I actually don’t like writing bad news about Microsoft Windows. I’m tired of having to complain about the world’s most popular desktop operating system, developed by one of the largest and most valuable tech companies in existence.
I’ve been a Windows diehard since version 3.1, but back in 2019 I switched over to macOS as my mission-critical work operating system, after successive broken Windows 10 patches cost me thousands of dollars in lost productivity. Since then, things have been pretty downhill. And Windows has left me feeling alienated. With one bad decision after the other, it seemed that the opinion of customers didn’t matter anymore, but now there are a few glimmers of hope that things are changing.
Microsoft is finally dialing back Copilot where it never belonged
I never asked for a wingman
Microsoft sure did bet it all on Copilot. It rebranded its product lines with it, added dedicated Copilot buttons to laptops, and planned to shoehorn the AI assistant into every nook and cranny that could accommodate it in Windows 11.
And probably a few that couldn’t!
In a blog post titled Our commitment to Windows quality the company stated “…we are reducing unnecessary Copilot entry points, starting with apps like Snipping Tool, Photos, Widgets and Notepad.”
So Copilot isn’t gone, but it’s on the backburner for now. Honestly, I’m just surprised Microsoft could ignore the customer backlash for this long.
“AI everywhere” is giving way to “AI where it makes sense”
A truce has been reached
That same blog post states “You will see us be more intentional about how and where Copilot integrates across Windows, focusing on experiences that are genuinely useful and well‑crafted.”
The Copilot rollback is part of this of course, but in general, it means we probably won’t see the deep file system integration and other worrying and potentially intrusive uses of AI in Windows. I know Microsoft probably desperately wants to see some return on its investment in AI, but personally I’m happy to end my tenure as a guinea pig for every AI-related idea that comes out of the random idea generator I assume they are using.
Core usability features are coming back (yes, really)
So, for some reason, Microsoft removed the ability to position the taskbar anywhere other than the bottom of the screen. This left people with no other options than third-party apps or a registry hack to get this feature back. Which always comes with the risk that at best Microsoft will disable the workaround, or at worst a conflict with a future update will wreck your Windows installation.
It might seem like a minor thing on the surface, but having so many people ask for such a simple feature to be returned and having it ignored is a symptom of a greater disease in my opinion. So it’s perhaps a small sign of bigger things to come that Microsoft is bringing back taskbar positioning:
“Repositioning the taskbar is one of the top asks we’ve heard from you. We are introducing the ability to reposition it to the top or sides of your screen, making it easier to personalize your workspace.”
It’s sad that this took over half a decade to happen, but as a sign of a turning point, it makes me hopeful.
Updates are becoming less aggressive and more user-controlled
Updates were getting us down
My whole falling out with Windows began with broken updates years ago, and things have not gotten better. You’ve probably seen the headline every month for the past few years declaring how people’s computers were breaking because of botched Windows updates. It’s one of the drivers behind the whole ‘Microslop” nickname. Along with all the AI bloatware.
That Windows quality blog post also affirms a commitment to letting us take more control over when and how Windows updates, and hopefully makes hacks that delay updates until 2045 unnecessary.
Performance, stability, and “less bloat” are back in focus too, so all in all things are looking up for Windows. Assuming this is anything more than the usual lip service.
Stephan is the sports journalist for the Maple Grove Report.
